Washington, D.C., and the NFL’s Washington Commanders are nearing an agreement to build the team’s new stadium at the RFK Stadium site, according to multiple reports.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Commanders have been engaged in conversations for the team to return to D.C. for months, and while a deal has not yet been finalized, a framework is reportedly in place.
Calls for the Commanders to return to D.C. became more of a reality once Congress voted in December to give D.C. control of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial stadium, where the Commanders played from 1961 until 1996. The team currently plays home games in Landover, Maryland, but their lease there at Northwest Stadium expires in 2027.
In February, the D.C. City Council gave approval for D.C. to accept the transfer of the RFK site into its control.
Bowser has been very open about her desire to see the Commanders return to D.C. She envisions the RFK site being transformed into a hub and leading to the development of housing and retail space.
The owner of the team, Josh Harris, has also expressed his interest in the Commanders returning to D.C.
“It’s the location that, when we do surveys, is the most acceptable,” Harris said. “That doesn’t mean that there’s not a lot of support in Maryland, a lot of support in Virginia. There is, but obviously, D.C. is kind of aligned with the history and happens to be the easiest place to get to for the most number of fans.”
And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the move could be a “a huge economic driver” and “would be great for our nation.”
But in the meantime, D.C. is navigating its 2026 fiscal budget, which Bowser said is completed. Congress has created uncertainty for the rest of the city’s fiscal 2025 budget with its recently-passed continuing resolution creating a $1 billion shortfall.
In the proposed deal to move the Commanders back to D.C., the franchise would reportedly put up $2.5 billion and D.C. would chip in $850 million, though those numbers could change. A “capital budget,” which uses public funds, would provide the funds for the city, which is different from its operating budget.
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However, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mundelson said he is not in favor of public funds going to help pay for the stadium. He chastised Bowser for not keeping the Council “informed” or “consulted” with her talks with the Commanders.
“I find it disturbing that the mayor believes a unilateral approach is the best course, especially when ultimately the council has to give approval,” he said.
